A federal appeals court is allowing Alaska regulators to publicly disclose data about ConocoPhillips’ oil and gas wells in the state’s National Petroleum Reserve, reversing a ruling from a lower bench.
On Wednesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that federal law did not preempt the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) from disclosing the company’s well data.
Alaska state law requires oil companies to seek permits to drill for oil and to disclose information about the wells to the AOGCC. State regulators must keep companies’ well information confidential for 24 months but can then make the data public to bolster future oil and gas development. ConocoPhillips claimed this system ran afoul of the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, risking exposing trade secrets and hurting the company’s economic interests.
Dennis Nuss, spokesperson for ConocoPhillips, said the company is currently reviewing the appeals court ruling and has not yet decided whether to appeal the decision.
